


Hillshaw, 1815

by relmsey



Category: The London Life (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Botanists in Love, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Married Life, Regency Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-27
Updated: 2016-07-27
Packaged: 2018-07-27 03:59:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7602523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/relmsey/pseuds/relmsey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Married life with Lady Natalie and Sir Peregrine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hillshaw, 1815

Mr. Murray, the butler, stood at the door to the greenhouse and coughed lightly.

'Her Grace the Duchess of Beaumont and Mrs. Haverleigh to see you both.'

Natalie and Perry looked up from the table they were working at to Mr. Murray, and then at each other.

'I did not call for them, did you call for them?'

'Of course not, I did not think that they were going to call until Friday.'

'Are you sure?'

‘Quite sure, I think that--’

'If you will permit me,’ said the butler, ‘today is Friday. They are waiting for you in the morning room.'

'Oh goodness,' Natalie said, brushing her hands together to knock off the soil from the sapling she had been in the middle of repotting. 'Tell them we shall be there in --’ and here she regarded her appearance in the glass of the greenhouse '-- oh _goodness_. I may need at least an hour.' She thought she caught the corners of Perry's mouth twitching out of the corner of her eye, but when she turned to look at him he was quite engrossed by the heuchera cuttings in front of him.

'I shall inform them you will be with them in ten minutes,' Mr. Murray said, a touch drily Natalie thought, and took his leave.

She removed the apron she had been wearing to cover her gardening dress, hanging it over the back of her chair before attempting to make the muslin of her skirt lie flat and look a little less wrinkled. She gave up on it after a minute, and resigned herself to simply repinning the strands of hair that had come loose from her bun throughout the morning. 

'They are expecting to see you as well,' Natalie said to her husband, who had yet to tear himself away from his notes. He fixed her with a Look, but obliged her by standing and rolling down his shirtsleeves as she brought his jacket over to him.

'I think there may be a bit still loose at the back - pin it for me?'

He took the hairpin from her hand as she turned around.

'I don't know why you're fussing. I think you look quite well,' Perry said, sliding the pin into place.

'I think there may be a little scientific bias in that statement,' she said, but she smiled all the same as she turned back to face him. She glanced down as she straightened his cravat. 'I am sure that Daphne won't care in the least, but I did so want to look nice for your sister, and -'

She was cut off, abruptly, by Perry pressing a soft kiss to her mouth. Natalie looked up at him bemusedly.

'What was that for?'

'I.' He blinked. 'Do - do I need a reason?' he asked, looking down at her with what seemed like genuine concern. Perhaps it hadn’t been meant as a question, but the way his voice caught on the words certainly made it sound like one. A slow smile overtook Natalie's face.

'Not at all, though I should rather like to know the cause. So as to best replicate the results in, ah - controlled conditions.' She fancied that she could see the tips of his ears turn pink. 'And really, you should be more careful Sir Peregrine. We're in a room made of glass. People will talk,’ Natalie said with a look of mock reproval.

'I think I am quite at leisure to do whatever I wish in my own home, Lady Bexley,' he said, voice stern but eyes teasing. At this, she swatted affectionately at his arm.

'You know that is not my title.' (It was probable that he did not, in fact, know her correct title.) 'Although,' she said, her gaze softening, 'I do find that I like it the more.' She raised herself up on her toes and kissed him once more, before taking a step back.

‘As wonderful as it would be to spend the whole day in here, this is the first time that I shall be greeting my sister as lady of the house and I would very much like to do that with my husband by my side. If the company of myself and your sisters is not draw enough, I rather suspect there shall be macarons,' she said, her tone lightly teasing as she held out a hand to him.

'Oh, well,' he said, still slightly pink as he took her hand. 'I _had_ intended to hide myself away in my study, but if there are to be _macarons_...'


End file.
